What if the rejection you cried over was actually God redirecting your life?

Rejection is HARD. Trust me, I know. I’ve cried over it. I’ve lamented it. I’ve had my “woe is me” moments. 😩😂 But there are some things I once asked God to change that I can now look back on and say: “Lord, THANK YOU for the rejection.” 🙌🏾

On this episode of Band Pit to Pulpit: The Documentary Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Carlos Kelly for a conversation about calling, rejection, redirection, timing, purpose, and trusting God when His plan looks nothing like the one you had for yourself. One of the truths that emerged from our conversation was simple: “God’s rejection was redirection.” Sometimes God changes the plan to get us exactly where He wants us. The door closes. The opportunity disappears. The timeline changes.

The answer is no. And while we’re trying to understand what went wrong, God may already be using what we call rejection to accomplish redirection. Looking back over my own journey from the band pit to the pulpit, I can see it differently now. Some of what hurt me was helping me. Some of what disappointed me was developing me.

And some of the doors I cried over were never supposed to be the final destination. Because ultimately, it’s about getting where God wants you, when God wants you there.

It’s His time. Not yours. ⏰🙏🏾 🎙️ BAND PIT TO PULPIT: THE DOCUMENTARY PODCAST Season 2 | Episode 4 Featuring Dr. Carlos Kelly

If something in this conversation speaks to you:

👍🏾 LIKE the episode

💬 COMMENT: Have you ever thanked God later for a rejection that hurt you when it happened? ↗️ SHARE this conversation with somebody navigating a closed door 🔔 SUBSCRIBE and turn on notifications so you don’t miss what’s coming next!

Same call. Different seats.

What happens when the platform is no longer the point?

On this episode of Band Pit to Pulpit, I sit down with my friend Raymond Darius Jackson, Director of Worship & Creative Arts at Beulahland Bible Church, for a conversation that reaches far beyond music. We talk about creativity, leadership, trust, ministry, and what it means to serve when God gives you influence without allowing the platform to become your identity. Raymond and I have shared enough life and ministry to have a conversation that goes beyond the surface. We talk candidly about being trusted with responsibility, navigating leadership, developing people, and understanding that sometimes the greatest evidence of growth is what you do with the freedom you’ve been given.

My granddaddy used to say: “You gave me enough rope to hang myself, but I didn’t.” That idea opens the door to a larger conversation about trust, stewardship, maturity, and leadership.

What do you do when somebody believes in you enough to give you room? And what kind of leader do you become when you no longer have to prove that you belong in the room? This one is about more than the band pit.

It’s about what happens BEYOND THE PLATFORM.

If this conversation speaks to you, LIKE the episode, COMMENT with what stood out, SHARE it with somebody who needs the conversation, and SUBSCRIBE to the channel as we continue the journey from the band pit to the pulpit. Same call. Different seats

Sometimes the people God uses to recognize your next are the same people who help you release your now.

In this personal episode of Band Pit to Pulpit, we talk with Bishop Teco Manuel about music, Christian ministry, spiritual calling, and faith transitions. Before the pastoral title and before the vision was clear, Bishop Teco saw potential beyond the band pit.

If you are navigating a transition in your faith, feeling a push toward leadership, or learning to trust God's timing when He pulls you beyond what people already know you're gifted at, this conversation is for you.

Subscribe to Band Pit to Pulpit on Spotify and Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode on purpose, faith, and leadership!